Intense research and development activity and a critical mass of specialists and postgraduate university students make Montréal a vital intellectual centre. With its four universities, two that are French-speaking and two that are English-speaking, and their affiliated schools, colleges, laboratories and world-renowned research centres, Montréal has earned a solid international reputation for its intellectual vitality.

According to a study conducted by McGill University, Montréal ranks second in North America for the number of university students per capita. In 2002, the Montréal area had close to 220,000 students of whom 160,000 were attending university. Four large daily newspapers are published in Montréal, three in French and one in English. There are also four cultural weeklies that are free, as well as many neighbourhood rags published in a variety of languages.